Scammers prey on state’s taxpayers

Friday

North Carolina taxpayers are being targeted by criminals in a telephone tax scam, according to a release from the N.C. Department of Revenue.

North Carolina taxpayers are being targeted by criminals in a telephone tax scam, according to a release from the N.C. Department of Revenue.

Criminals posing as representatives of state or federal agencies are contacting taxpayers regarding fraudulent delinquent tax bills in an attempt to coerce individuals into sending electronic payments. The imposter typically asks scam victims to send the funds from financial institutions in large retailers.

A tax professional in Indiana whose client was targeted informed the NCDOR that an imposter instructed the taxpayer to send money from a local retailer to pay a phony North Carolina tax bill. NCDOR representatives were able to confirm that the call was not legitimate so the taxpayer did not send any money.

The imposters feed on the idea that taxpayers will have a natural uneasiness about being delinquent with their taxes, said the NCDOR in the release.

With an increase in these telephone tax scams, the NCDOR recommends taxpayers remember the following:

n The NCDOR would never, under any circumstances, direct a taxpayer to a specific retail outlet or financial institution to pay a tax bill.

n Before contacting a taxpayer by phone about a collection action, NCDOR will send one to five notices by mail advising the taxpayer about the specifics of any overdue or delinquent tax payment.

n If you receive a questionable call from NCDOR or any other tax agency, please contact the agency directly or speak to a qualified tax professional.

“The citizens of North Carolina understand the importance of filing and paying their taxes in full, and to take advantage of that knowledge to defraud taxpayers of their hard-earned money is reprehensible,” said Acting Secretary of Revenue Jeff Epstein in the release. “We want people to contact us directly if they receive a call or letter from NCDOR that they don’t understand or that seems suspicious.”

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